Autotruck



A. P. LEE.

AUTO TRUCK.

APPLICATION FILED SEPT117. 1917- 1 ,4;()2,299, Patented Jan. 3, 1922,

4 SHEETSSHEET I- Zii fi A. P. LEE.

AUTO TRUCK. APPLICATION FILED SEPTJTJQH. 1,402,299,

Patented Jan. 3, 1922.

4 SHEETS-*SHEET 2.

. WWI/6722 6) dwarf flee A. P. LEE.

AUTO TRUCK.

APPLICATION FILED SEPT-17,1317. 1,402,299, Patented Jan. 3, 1922.

4 SHEETS-SHEET 3. 4fl

A. P. LEE.

AUTO TRUCK.

APPLICATION FILED SEPT. I7, 19H- 1 ,402,299 Patented Jan. 3, 1922.

4 SHEETS-SHEET 4 pairs s ALBERT 1?. LEE, OFO'HICAGO, ILLINOIS,

assreivon 'IQLEE TRAILER AND BODY COMPANY, OF CHICAGO, I ILLINOIS.

AUTOTR'UGK.

1&02299.

To all whom it may concern: I

Be it known that l,- ALnnnrr P. LEE, a c1t1- zen of the United States, residing at Chica o in the count of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in Autotrucks, of which the following is a full, clear, concise, and

exact description, reference being had to the ing such that the hopper automatically. dumps to opposite sides of its central posit tion and in the preferred form the hopper is associated with the structure so that it may also discharge its load in a third direction at rightnangles to the aforesaid two sidewise dumping positions. I

My invention further concerns itself with the outline of configuration of the hopper and the rail on which it rolls.

My invention further contemplates the provision of a side dumping hopper of this general nature which is so arranged that as the hopper moves from its central charge carrying position to its discharge position with the load in place the center of gravity of the combined hopper and load is gradually lowered in the course of this dumping movement; and in which the center of gravity of the hopper alone is gradually lowered as the hopper returns from its discharge position to its charge carrying position.

I will explain my invention more in detail by 'referring to the accompanying drawings illustrating means for carrying out my invention, in which- Fig. 1 is a side view of a truck equipped with my improved hopper and body; v

Fig. 2 is an end view of the hopper structure looking back from the cab of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is an end view of the opposite end of the hopper and body structure;

Fig. i is a fragmentary longitudinal sectional view of the rear portion of the hopper and body structure on line 44: of Fig. 5;

Specification of Letters'Patent. Patented J n. 3 1922 Application filed September 17, 1917. 'Serial No. 191,666.

Fig. 5 is a sectional view on line 5-5 of Fig. 1; 7

Fig. 6 is a view. illustrating the varying positions of the center of gravity of the loaded and unloaded hopper during the difierent positions occupied by saidhopper, and

Fig. 7 is a diagrammatic view of a modifiedforin of hopper and rail outline;

Fig. 8 isa view showing the detailed construction of the yielding stabilizers.

Referring more particularly to Figs. 1, 2, 3, 4L, 5 and 6, I show (Fig. 1) an automobile chassis 10 having the wheels 11 and 12 together with the cab 18, which carries a suitable channel iron framework it. This channel iron framework is pivotally associated with the chassis 10 as shown at 15, and at its opposite extremity is adapted to be raised into a rearward dumping position through the agency of the hoist 16 as shown in dotted lines. The hopper 17 has the hopper rails 18 which co-operate with the truck rails 19 upon which it rolls from the central position shown in Fig. 3 to the dumping position shown in Fig. 6 to either side of its central position.

Thegeneral characteristics of this style of construction of the broken back rail and the outer configuration of the hopper are more clearly explained in my application Serial No. 142,419, filed Jan. 15, 1917.

The hopper itself has the flaring sides 20, 21, surmounted by the more acutely flaring upper extensions 22 and 28. The lower floor 24 of the-hopper is flat, there being an open space between the floor portion 2 1 of the hopper and the lower portion of the rail 18, as more clearly apparent from Fig. 5. The front wall 25 of the hopper is preferably designed to remain permanently closed, whereas the rear wall 2G of the hopper is in the form of a door pivoted upon the shaft 27 through the agency of the hinges 28 and 29, these hinges preferably being extended in the form of metallic strengthening strips 80 and 31 respectively. The door 26 as shown more clearly in Fig. a may thus be opened to provide a flat bottomed hopper of what is called the express type so that it can be used for carrying lumber or other similar articles. hen the door 26 is closed however the hopper is designed to carry loose materials which can be readily discharged from the hopper as it is dumped through the agency ofthes eags'ss sees.

westimw to either sideiofits central patties 6r is it is dumped to the rear, as will be presently explained. Asuitable chain, desi ed normally to 'hold' the door 26'. itsclh sed position, and this chain may' '11 ewise' serve to hold the door in a, given 0 en position;;

as more clearly apparent from ig. 4. This rear door26.of' thehoppen also carries an erid'gate 33"pi"od'upd1i the shaft 34 and suita ly locked in its closed pilsitibrf by the clasps 35. When these clasps are 0 ned the hopper maybe rem-ear vahefit the pivot 15 through the agency of the Hoist" Jul The chains, clasps yielding stabilizers} whose 'detlli ei construetion is shown in Fig. 8 and is as follbwsz Pivotally secured to the lower end of" chain '38 is the clasp bent in the 'ferm shown;

A plate 85'- (also shortvn'in Figs 17a secures to the frame member 14by cream or bolt 89 shown in Fig; 1 andis pl'bv lded" with an openingat its'uppei efidit" which passes the end of sp clasp 40' ames"througha I 87" the upper en *ofsprihg lfiaird a boss lilhli88- on the chain 38 is adaptedte'en' the end'of elsspao to hold it in o position.

When it is desired to'danip tefirdany one side the'stabilizer "on the other first be'released. After the tion and the through'l '8'! and upwt e asses see i in Fi'gs; time s." msmew ment will'dfitw the chailtas thht Midi ht the spring 42 finder tensfgin, (his wines ofthe' clasp 40. It warts-unattended that v the stabilizer 'on the o posite side of the machine is constructed iii a smear The bottom of the h'opper'also carries springs 44 terminatin in chains 45 amen limit the dumping position of'the the sp'i'i" 44' providi'n slrfliierltresi ency and recoi 'to' start the opperonitsjmovement back to its central position afterthe load hasten dumped.

lately in its central position I "previdea framework 46 which carries at' its upper extremity the pivoted bolt 47; this bolt being operable by the pivotally associated links 48' and 49, theli'hk 49 beli'lg'l'btmblfi'witli the handle 50. Thus whenever thehandie 50 is swung to either side of its'central 'p'osition (Fig. 2) the link 49 is strong, thereby 37; as explainedin my Pitteht um ber 1,253,658 issued Jan. 8,1918, stre me- .ual rolling has mussels were central position, t 0 end titles 40 i! lovti'ariiig thdlink 48 to raise the bolt 47 out of the recess 51 within which it normally finds lod ement thus to unlock the hopper. The rotigion of the handle 50"also' rotates the fingers 52 to thereby release them from the" coTOperating fingers 53 carried by the hopper body. There are thus provided four distinct difierent means for holding the hopper in its central position. These four hms'cohipfisethebnlt 47, the fingers 52, 53, the outriggers 36, 37 and the chains 38, 39. Suitable pins 80 (Fi 3) co-op'e'rating witheyes' 81 securely hod the door 26 in its closed position.

By referring more particularly to Fig. 7,

I shew a hog/per 54'havin a diiferent ontlih'e than th shown in igs. 1 to 6 inelusive," the hopper having an outline such that it does not require a hopper rail of diflei'ent outline than the hopper itself in order to co-operate with the truck rail 55 upon'which' it mils. The flat bottom portio'n56 ofthehopper rolls upon the central circular portion 57 of the truck rail and the two tr'uek rail wings 58 and 59 are of such an outline as to'conform to the sloping sides 60, 61, respectively of the hopper. A gradmovement of the hopper takes place, the miles being so constructed as to conform w the aetnal outline or configuratier! of the hopper, thus avoiding the neces'sity of any special hopper rail construction; Suitable end pivoting points 62' and 63 are provided upon the rail 55 to permit the 'hbpper to pivot when it reaches the limit ofits discharge movement.

By referring more particularly to Fig. 6, I show'theho per 17 as cooperating with the rail19'simila y to the structure disclosed in Fi s. 1 to 5, the rail 19 having the pivot poiit 64"to accommodate for the pivoting of the hopper when -it reaches the limit of its stroke. In this Fig. 6 I have shown thehopper in a pluralit of different positions which schematical y indicate its transition from charge carrying to discharge position when full andits return when empty.

When the hopper is full and in its central position it's'center of avity is indicated by the int 65-. As the fill hopper moves into the otted position 66 its center of gravity is indicated by the oint 67. As the hopper moves into the position 68 its center of gravity' is indicated by the point 69. As the hopper moves into the position indicated by 70 its center of gravity isindicated by the In order further to lock the hopper absepoint 71, and as the hopper moves into its full dumping sition indicated at 7 2 its center of gravity is indicated at 73. The line 7 4 thus represents the locus of the points of center of gravity of the filled hopper as it moves from its charge carryin to discharge position. Itwill be seen thatt is line slopes ownwardly, thus indicating that the center of gravityis gradually lowered, whereby a steady discharge movement of the hopper is automatically brought about. Immediately the hopper has dumped, then the center of gravity of the hopper when it occupies the position 72 is indicated by the point 75. In the position 70 the center of gravity of the empty hopper is at the point 71; in the position 68 the center of gravity is at the point 7 6; in the position of 66 the center of gravity is at the point 77, and in the position 17 the center of gravity of the hopper is at the point 78. The line 79 joining these points again slopes downwardly showing that the hopper has a tendency when unloaded to roll back to its central charge carrying position. The hopper thus has an automatic discharge movement and an automatic recoil.

From what has been thus described the nature of my invention will be readily apparent to those skilled in the art. Having however thus described certain forms which my invention may take, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. In a device of the character described the combination with a rolling hopper having fixed side walls and a flat bottom, curved rails underneath the hopper and spaced from said bottom, a rail on which said hopper is adapted to roll from its central charge carrying to its discharge position to either side of its central position whereby the contents of said hopper when tilted to either side are discharged over the top edge of the corresponding side wall, said hopper having an end door which may be opened to form a continuation of the floor of said hopper whereby said hopper is convertible from a closed-ended to an open-ended type.

2. In a device of the character described the combination with a rolling hopper having fixed walls and, a flat floor, rails conforming to the walls of the hopper and spaced from said flat floor, rails on which said hopper is adapted to roll from its central charge carrying to its discharge posi tions to either side of its central position whereby the contents of said hopper when tilted to either side are discharged over the top ed go of the corresponding side wall, an

end door for said hopper pivoted at its lower edge and adapted to be opened into the plane of said floor to thereby form a continuation of the floor of said hopper whereby said hopper is convertible from a closed-ended to an open-ended type, an auxiliary end gate carried by said door through which said hopper when tilted may discharge its contents of loose material, and means for tilting said hopper rearwardly.

3. In a device of the character described the combination with a rolling hopper having fixed side walls and a fiat bottom, a bearing rail around its periphery conforming to its side walls and curved beneath said bottom, a rail coacting with and complementary to the bearing rail and on which said hopper is adapted to roll from its central charge carrying toward its discharge positions to either side of its central position, means whereby said hopper pivots when at the extremity of its movement toward either side on said rail so that said flat bottom swings past a vertical position, a framework carrying said rail, and a centrally located resilient means interposed between said hopper and said framework operative when said hopper has reached either of its limiting discharge positions to initially draw said hopper back toward its central position, said resilient means including a spring and a chain secured to the frame work and the bottom of said hopper.

4:- In a deviceof the character described, a rolling hopper with a flat bottom, a bearing rail around the periphery and spaced from the bottom of the hopper, a rail coactin with and complementary to the bearing rail and on which said hopper is adapted to roll to either side of its central position, and a spring and chain located centrally beneath the hopper and connecting the hopper to the frame to initiate return movement of the hopper from either side position.

In witness whereof, I hereunto subscribe my7name this 7th day of September, A. D. 191

ALBERT P. LEE. 

